Dead Space: Resurrection
by AoDragon
Summary: A sneak peek of my new story about the aftermath of Dead Space: Armageddon. Rated M for language and Sexual Content later on. Its been many years since the war between the Necros and humanity, Isaac Clark has played and completed his part of his destiny and now his children must play theirs to end the markers and the necromorphs once and for all.
1. Nightmares Resurrected

Dead Space: Resurrection

Disclaimer: I do not own the Dead Space Franchise; this story is only made as a tribute.

Prologue

Previously on Dead Space: Armageddon, The war against the undead and moons known as necromorphs was long over and life everywhere was finally free from the menace that mauled the universe. Isaac Clark fought hard and long against the moons and their menagerie of monsters right till the end until all the moons and markers were utterly destroyed but long before the wars end Isaac and Ellie fully embraced their love for each other and eventually they conceived a children a son and a daughter Dean and Laura Clark. Now grown up they both serve in TerraGove's military, while Isaac still happily married to his love Ellie Clark, both live on the planet mankind found at the end of the war in time that battle became known as the Necro War, a place the human race could call home the new world's name, Terra. Since then the new ways and government have not been in favor with everyone for the colonies wanted to become their own nations thus the broke away from Terra, branded as separatist they are in occasional conflict with each other, Dean about to deployed on a mission he and his team are suddenly reassigned to top secret mission.

Chapter 1

Nightmares Resurrected

As their ship travels thorough shockspace Dean sits in the crew quarters looking down at the Plasma Cutter in his hands. One of his teammates calls out to him.

"Hay Dean suit up in and get up we're coming up on the coordinates."

"Alright I'll be right there."

He puts on his RIG suit and upon reaching the bridge them come out of shock space, in the distance they see the missing ship the USM Talos.

"Geez this ship is fucking huge."

"Spects show it's 3 times bigger than USG Ishimura and that was big ship."

"No hull damage by the looks of it scans show the power is down throughout most of the ship and the reactor looks offline too."

"Alright looks like the main hangers are locked down let's circle around and find a boarding point."

They circle around the massive ship until they found a side hanger they land in it and proceeded with their mission.

"Alright slip into two teams, team one your with me the rest of you explore and investigate the ship and stay in contact at all times if you have the least bit of trouble with communications then fall back immediately to the ship understood?"

"Sir yes sir."

The other team makes their way to another hanger and finds the ship Laura Clark and her team used to get to the Talos.

"Commander we found a ship in another hanger signature matches the one the missing team used."

"Did you find anyone?"

"Negative… its strange sir since we've been here no signs of battle, no bodies, not even blood."

"Stay sharp, continue investigating."

The second team travels deeper into the ship; upon reaching an intersection one of them spots something that sends chills up his spine a humanoid with glowing eyes catches his attention.

"Hay!"

"What is it?"

"I saw someone over there walking into that room… those eyes."

They run to the room to find nothing but a blood soaked room with semi skeletal human remains scattered throughout the floor. One of them vomits at the grotesque sight of the room.

"Suck it up rookie; you're bound to see disturbing shit likes this sooner or later."

"Shit, commander we found what's left of some of the crew there dead."

"Can you ID cause of death?"

"I not sure how to describe this… they look like they melted alive."

"Sir!"

"What is now?"

"Look." [Points to man standing further down the hallway]

"Looks like we got a live one, hay you turn around slowly and put your hands on your head!"

The man continues slowly walking as if he hears nothing in a zombie like manner; they notice blood dripping from him.

"Sir, are you hurt?"

"Sir wait!"

Upon walking up to him the man turns around revealing bright yellow glowing eyes and a rip jaw like mouth pincer like limbs sprout form its , in an instant it lunges at him trying to devour his head. They wildly shoot the creature and it has no effect it soon more of them burst up from the ground, a fierce fight follows after killing a few Dean and his other team arrive and neutralized the creatures.

"Are you guys alright?"

"Where fine but we're not alone."

"No shit Sherlock what the fuck are these things!"

"Keep your voice down private."

Dean walks over to one of the carcasses.

"RIG scan."

"Scanning please wait."

"Scan complete, Warning: necromorph entity confirmed."

Necromorph, you telling me those things from the war are here on this ship?"

"What else can these things be?"

Dean walks up to a window overlooking the rest of the ship.

"Where are you Laura?" [Worried]

One day earlier

In Terra Gove's HQ building Dean is called in by Major (Maj.) John Carver, Dean walks into a large office.

"Ah Dean it's been a long time since our last encounter!"

"Carver… uh apologies Major Carver sir." [Salutes]

"At ease Dean, have a seat and when it's just the two of us you can call me whatever ok?"

"Understood."

"You're probably wondering why you've been reassigned?"

"Yes my team is hoping you can help shed light on this."

"So I will, before I get into it I'm required to make sure that all conversations in this office on this subject be classified to us and your team only until further notice do you understand?"

"Yes sir."

"Good, about a month ago the separatist forwarded intel to us that put fire in the brass's eyes."

"What was the nature of it?"

"I'm sure your father Isaac has told you a few of his stories about the Necro war?"

"Yes he has sir since as long as I can remember."

Carver looks to his right at picture of Isaac, Ellie and himself from after the end days of the war.

"Carver what does that war have to do with this?"

[Looks back to him]

"The intel we received suggests that a rouge faction of the separatist had possibly found and were even experimenting on a marker."

"A marker?"

"Yes a marker, powerful devices created by the moons they were capable of inducing dementia and horrific hallucinations and visions into people in their range."

"I know I've read his old journals and how the hell could they have a marker weren't they all destroyed when the moons were?"

"They were but after reading this info we're not so sure and it has the brass on edge most of them fought in the war against those monsters."

"You want me and my team to investigate this."

"Yes apparently they were using a military class ship the USM Talos that was reported to have gone missing three months prior to this in order to transport it if they truly found a marker at all, hope to god this is just the separatist fucking around with our heads but the brass is livid about this."

"We'll find out what separatist are up to John."

"Good, there's one more thing, we sent a team four weeks ago and they have not reported back since they're all MIA. Dean… your sister was part of that team."

"Laura?"

"Yes, Dean the brass wants me to tell you that it would be best if you didn't mention this to your parents especially Isaac until we know more about all this."

"I don't like it but consider it done sir."

Before leaving for his mission Dean visits two graves in a cemetery near his home, on the grave stones read, Poul Clark the other Madison M. Hawk, Dean only got to know his grandfather for only a short time before death finally caught up with him. As for Dr. Hawk she reached the age 87 before she died of old age. Before he was about to leave Dean feels a hand on his shoulder he turns to his father.

"Hay dad."

"Haven't seen you in a while how've you been?"

"Busy the military keeps you on your feet."

"Yep, Dean listen to me I know what Carver talked to you about, your sisters missing team and the rumors about existing markers…"

"How'd you know about?"

"You how close friends Carver and I am plus I seem to know certain things."

"Okay, does mom know?"

"No, and it should stay that way just as Carver said it should be… when do you leave?"

"Tonight."

"Dean I want you have this." [Isaac hands him case]

"This was mine and now I'm passing it to son. [He opens it]

"Dad this was your…"

"My old Plasma Cutter killed my first necromorph with this and now it's yours."

"Thanks dad." [Both hug]

"I wish I can stay and talk more but I gotta go prepare."

"It's alright I understand."

"Say hi to mom for me okay?"

"Will do and be careful."

"I will."

Dean walks away, Isaac walks closer to his father's grave and sits in front of the gravestones; he places his hand on Hawk's. Before he leaves he places a flower at the base of both them.


	2. Venture into Darkness

Chapter 2

Venture into Darkness

Deans directs his attention back to the situation at hand.

"What do we do now sir?"

"We have a job to do, find out what happened to the other and search for survivors if possible let's keep moving."

Dean and his team continue deeper into the massive ship.

"I've pulled up the ships floor plan according to this we're near the main junction, the ships cross roads there we can access most of the levels since the power outage has most of the bulkheads closed."

"Hay isn't this ship equipped with an AI?"

"Yes it is, he one of the most advance ever made codename A.E.G.I.S."[Said Dean]

"The ships systems indicate the AI is offline, I can bring him back online, he might know what happened to the missing team." [Said Alpha]

"How far is the AI core?"

"Um… a few levels above us we'll have to use the main junction to get there but the bulkheads for the AI core are locked down how will we get in?"

"We'll figure it out when we get there."

As they come up on the main junction they all stand shocked at the grotesque sight of millions of corpses scattered about vast puddles of blood covering the floors on the bridge above blood and slime drips along towers of corruption.

"My god, the hell happened here?"

"I think "hell" is exactly what happened here." [Dean looks around]

"Spread out and secure the area and be careful these bastards are sneaky."

Looking around Dean comes to a duct curious he tries to open it.

"Ash, give me hand with this."

"Sir."

Both lift the panel a draft of foul air rushes out.

"Oh god that reeks."

"No kidding, there's something in there." [Gets down on a knee]

"Whoa you not gonna…"

Dean reaches down the vent sticking his arm in bloody corruption.

"And you do, god that's disgusting." [Coughs]

While Dean fumbles around the vent two others while searching the area they come across an undamaged bloodied body leaning against a pillar.

"Hay he looks not messed up."

They cautiously move closer to the body, after seconds of searching through the slimy contents of the vent he grabs hold of something that grabs his attention.

"I got something, feels like a hand."

He pulls his arm out of the vent along with a dismembered arm holding a knife.

"Huh… poor bastard to whoever that arm belongs to."

"He won't need this anymore." [As he takes the knife from the hand]

"Looks like he was part of the crew, "USM Talos - TerraGove Navy". [Reading the patch on the sleeve]

One of the other men attempts to tap the body on the shoulder with his rifle, at the moment of contact the body springs awake screaming manically and squirming trying to crawl away from the two.

"Hay we got a live one!" [Alpha Shouted]

"Hay calm down!"

"Get away from me, get away!"

Dean runs to him and holds the hysterical survivor on the ground and holds his hand over his mouth.

"Hay it's okay, calm down."

He stops squirming and hyperventilating, Dean takes his hand off his mouth.

"Now what's your name?"

"Vance, Vance Blake."

"Ok Vance listen I need you tell me what happened here."

"They… they came from the crew, there was shockwave and a high pitched noise in my head then the crew started going crazy and killing each other with whatever they can get their hands on then the bodies… the bodies started turning into monsters those things from the war I think they were called necromorphs."

"A shockwave?"

"Yes it was massive and powerful when it hit the power was knocked out for a few seconds and god that noise it was like a fucking banshee screaming in your ears."

"What happened next how did you survive for three months trapped on board with necros running around."

"Two months… the first month was fine nothing happened, that was when we dropped off the radar but the next month, that's when it went it happened and I spent that last two months avoiding them."

"Have you met any other survivors?"

"Maybe the ship is about 57,000 meters long a lot of places to hide but I haven't seen anyone else, but I did see a group of people they looked like you, military about four weeks ago I didn't follow them because I was busy being chased and running for my life, look we can't stay here a few hours ago I was being chased by a very big necro I had to hide under dead these corpses just to evade it."

Suddenly they ready weapons at the sound of a loud eerie roar coming from behind the pillar, Vance scurries behind the team.

"Oh shit, its back that's the noise it made!"

"Alpha, Tindall circle around, Chip, Rico you with me, Tyrell guard Vance."

Alpha and Tindall circle around the pillar to see mound of corpses and scions of corruption sticking out of it, as they get closer a massive necro erupts from the mound flinging corpses everywhere. The Necro looms over and roars at them it lifts its leg in attempt to crush Alpha and Tindall they both jump out of the way of the way and start shooting at the beast, a fierce fight takes place as Dean and his team fight to survive. After minutes of fighting it Dean shoots for the glowing flesh connecting its legs to it body, shrieking in pain it falls to the ground and revels a pulsating brain-like sac sprouting out of the top of its head, Dean runs and leaps up top and unloads his ammo into its exposed organ, enraged it grabs him and tosses him high in the air as he falls down the necro catches him with its long tongue and holds him up to its face with its bulging yellow eyes gazing at him. Dean takes the knife he obtained and repeatedly stabs its tongue, it releases him he grabs hold of it snout and blinds the necro one eye at a time by stabbing its multiple eyes.

"Yeah stab that ugly fucking!" [His team yells]

It grabs Dean and throws him to the floor and quickly pins him to the floor with its giant claw, it raises its other claw about to crush him when it's interrupted by Dean's team shooting at its brain making its claw release him he runs in between it legs for his rifle. While his teammates distract it he reaches it and readies his grenade launcher, after seconds of charging his rifle lets out a rapid beeping noise then Dean yells at the Necro and shoots at the back of its legs, it turns to him then charges at him whit great speed he aims for its head.

"Eat this you ugly bitch."

Dean pulls the trigger and the grenade fires out of its chamber; it flies right into the necro's mouth and down its throat. It stops in its tracks and stares at him then its whole upper body explode raining blood and guts everywhere, its lower half fumbles around in circles for a few seconds before it falls over motionless.

"Jesus Captain that was one hell of a fight."

"Yeah but don't take it too easy yet there bound to be a lot more."

Dean looks around.

"Where's Vance?"

"I'm here."

"Alright, Alpha you said the AI core is a few feet above us?"

"Yes sir, four bridges to be exact."

"Okay let move before something else shows up."

They take a lift to the fourth bridge and reach the level that contained the AI core they traversed a long hallway till they reached the bulkhead.

"There still power, good I can run a bypass give me a minute." [Said Alpha]

The bulkhead opens a moment later they quickly move inside and seal the door, lights turn on that illuminate a large white room with four cybernetic-like pillars in the center.

"Okay we'll be safe in here the floor plan shows there's no other way in this chamber but that bulkhead, no vents nothing to guard practically a safe room."

"Good we'll hold for a while here."

"I'll get to work on bringing Aegis back online."

Alpha walks up to a central pillar that rises from the floor and displays holograms that he interacts with. After almost twenty minutes Alpha manages to reactive the Aegis AI, the pillars begin glowing brighter and a hologram of a man appears.

"Aegis systems reactivated, warning AI mainframe corrupted, moderate damage to eternal systems."

The AI then looks at Dean and his team.

"Attention this area is restricted to all who do not possess level 7 clearance identify yourselves."

"I'm Captain Dean P Clarke TerraGove Special Forces Alpha Team RIG ID 753894823."

"Processing… ID authenticated you are granted high level access Captain Clarke."

"Report, tell me what happened here."

"Two months ago a lethal infection and infestation started to spread across the USM Talos, the crew began experiencing a sort of dementia that drove them to harm and kill each other it wasn't long before the dead crew underwent a sort of metamorphosis, extreme and unstable genetic alteration which turned them into highly aggressive creatures, history records indicates they are known as necromorphs."

"Aegis was there any research of any kind involving an artifact or object called a marker?"

"I've seen mention of this in a researcher's journal according to it there's a research sector of this ship that I had no knowledge of existing for my systems were not intergraded into that area thus I did not know what went in or on in that area, the fact that I was not extended in that area whatever they were doing it was highly classified."

"Do you know where this area is located?"

"I afraid I cannot say my memory banks were severely damaged with the power surge from the bizarre shockwave that spread throughout the ship seconds before the outbreak started."

Suddenly an alarm sounds off.

"Warning danger, emergency power supply nearly depleted power is less than 35%; attention life-support is being maintained by the emergency power, life-support will fail if an alternative power source is not found."

"Ah great, now we're in danger of suffocating to death."

"The power surge likely knocked disabled both of the ship's reactors they're shielded but they were not rated to withstand the magnitude of the surge, if you can reach the main reactors in engineering you should be able to restart them manually."

"Just like that manually?"

"Yes the shielding would have protected much of the reactors and there was no structural damage to them you should have no problem doing so except with the possibility of resistance."

"Alright looks like we got a serious problem to fix in little time let's move out."

"Sir yes sir." [All four]

"Vance you stay here with Aegis you'll be safe."

"Okay I'm no combatant anyway I'm helpful being out of the way." [Taking a seat on the floor]

"Have you shot a gun before?"

"Yeah."

"Okay take this just in case." [Hand him his pistol]

The bulkhead opens and they set out to the engineering levels to reactivate the main reactors.

"Okay Alpha what's the shortest route to the Engineering levels?"

"We take the lift all the way down to its lowest point and it should be straight forward form there."

"Good."

They take the lift down but before they can get to the lowest point the lift is stopped in in its tracks and goes up to the nearest floor.

"What the hell?"

"The lift is malfunction it won't work we're gonna have to go from here I'll plot a new route send it to our locators."

Unable to proceed they're forced to take an alternate route about a few moments pass by before they came to large area.

"Storage room, we cut across using the door on the far side…"

Alpha is stopped by seeing something with his peripheral vision move quickly in front of them; he readies his rifle and scans the room.

"What is it?"

"Where not alone in this room." [Whispers]

They all start hearing strange chirping noises in the store room they all cautiously search the room, Tyrell who wanders away from his team and he searches alone in the room's far corner, he comes to a dead-end as he's about to turn and regroup with his teammates he sees a man leaning against the wall coughing heavily.

"Hay sir are you alright?" [Seeing his RIG blinking red]

The man collapses to the floor with his hands covering his face.

"Hay what's wrong are you ok?" [As he gets closer]

Tyrell is struck with horror as the man looks up at him seeing maggot-like worms emerging from under his eyelids.

"Please… kill me." [Weakly]

Then his body begins to spaz violently Tyrell tries to help him when he suddenly grabs hold of his neck, he tries to force him to release him when the victim's mouth is ripped wide open with his jaw hanging below his head. Large worm-like proboscis with multiple yellow eyes slithers and emerges from the victim's throat before he scream for help the now victim turned necromorph lifts him bashes him against the wall then to the ground dazing him the, the necro drops to its knees, grabs Tyrell's head and the proboscis forces its way into his mouth he squirms and struggles, the parasite is interrupted when Dean shoots it in the back. It turns to him and the parasite retracts back inside the body and its head realigns itself staring at him with glowing yellow eyes. It starts charging after him, he shoots it again severing its left arm it then mutates sprouting spiked tentacles, it charges him again lashing them about like a whip. This time Dean empties his clip into it and it finally falls the parasite within tries to escape its host Dean pins it to the ground with his boot then he crushes it with the butt of his rifle making it spew slime out of its mouth. Seeing the rookie Tyrell motionless on the floor he runs over to him and tries to revive him, the rest of the team catches up with them.

"Where the hell were you guys?!"

"This damn place is like a maze and we met hostiles on the way, god what happened to him?"

"He wondered off on his own I found him on the floor with a necro on top of him it was… it was doing something to him."

"Kid hay come on wake up."

After a few seconds Tyrell gains consciousness he turns on his side coughing up blood and slime.

"There you go, you okay?"

"Yeah I'm alright I'm fine." [Gets up off the ground]

"Rookie, that was a very stupid thing to do what the hell were you thinking breaking off from the group."

"I'm sorry sir I wasn't thinking I thought I saw someone and…"

He raises his hand, he stops talking.

"Let this misadventure of yours be a lesion okay because these things want us to get separated so they can pick us off one guy at a time for now on nobody goes anywhere alone I don't care if your seven feet away from us no one goes alone, no come on were wasting time we gotta get those reactors back online."

Right when they're about to leave the store room all the exits seal themselves and gas quickly comes out of the vents flooding the room, whiten seconds they fall to the floor as if all their nerves stopped functioning all but Dean still remained conscious, one of the doors open and a few RIG suited figures enter the store room along with humanoid necromorphs looking down at him, a final figure enters the room and knees to Dean with the light of his yellow visor shining on his face then Dean finally drops unconscious.

"All too easy, you fell right for our trap and now your father will have no choice but to come for you he wouldn't dare leave his own son and daughter to die."


	3. Ambuscade

Chapter 3

Ambuscade

Deep in TerraGov space near the boarders of their territory and Separatist space, a government council ship flies to meet with separatist diplomats in attempt to strengthen relations between them, Ellie Clarke and Lexine Weller being among the assigned diplomats on board the USM Hail. Unknown to Ellie and Lexine her husband Isaac Clarke is working along with his students a board the ship as temporary replacements for its engineers, while on rout to the meeting point Isaac is called to the bridge by the captain. On his way to the bridge he runs into Lexine.

"Isaac?"

"Lex… wow how long has it been ten mouths?" [Both hug]

"I take it you're the engineering student's teacher?"

"Yes I am I thought it would be a nice experience for my students to work on a real military ship."

"That's very cool; you teach one of the Engineering courses at the university?"

"Yes one of the new ones."

"They're governmentally funded electives right?"

"Yes."

"That's great I'm glad you're doing okay."

"So how've you been?"

"I'm good mostly how you're kids?"

"There're fine Dean came home to visit days ago before he went back on duty."

"Oh he was on leave?" [They walk together]

"Yes, so how are Gabe and Branna?"

"Oh… Branna is well she's working at TerraGov Intelligence Agency."

"That's a nice job it's not easy to get into."

"Yes it is but she got in."

"How about Gabe I haven't heard from him lately?"

"Well I guess we've both been better… Gabe and I at the moment are separated."

"What, what happened?"

"We just needed time away from each other a timeout if you will its nothing serious it'll be okay."

"Okay It was nice to see you again Lex I wish we can talk more but I got to go I have business on the bridge."

"Okay I better get moving too we should be almost at the meeting point… oh by the way Ellie is here too on the ship have you talked yet?"

"No I didn't even know she was on this ship she's your partner for the negotiations?"

"Yes she is we were just eating together at the mess hall."

"Well I'll get a chance to talk to her when the meetings are over, I'll see you later."

"Okay, see you later." [Isaac and Lexine part ways]

Isaac enters the bridge and is greeted by the captain.

"Mr. Clarke it's nice to finally meet you."

"Likewise captain." [They shake hands]

"So how's it going up here any problems?"

"No everything's fine we're nearing the meeting area though I am a little concerned with this meeting."

"Whys that?"

"There have been rumors going around about the separatist on how shadowy they've been acting lately."

"I've heard about that but I haven't heard much nor paid any mind to it."

"I hear that, anyway are your students adapting well on the ship?"

"Yes they're doing well the ships systems are running at a exceptional rate."

"Good I have to say I'm glad I volunteered to take on you and your students this ship is running better than before that engine core was messed up but your guys cleaned it up good."

"Sir we're coming up on the coordinates."

"Good prep for de-shock."

"Coming out of shockspace in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1."

The USM Hail comes out of shockspace only to find nothing waiting for them; the captain's suspicions then confirmed not taking any chances he orders all personnel to be ready for attack.

"All hands this is the captain speaking I'm ordering defensive protocols, I repeat defensive protocols are in affect all hands man your battle stations."

"Isaac you should tend to your students."

"Right are the diplomats…?"

"Don't worry your wife and the others are well protected my man will guard them with their lives."

"Thank you." [He begins to leave]

"Captain we're detecting shocksapce activity unidentified ships approaching."

[Isaac stops and turns to the window]

Mysterious ships come out of nowhere and start firing upon the USM Hail within seconds the whole ship is engulfed in chaos. Isaac runs through the corridors of the ship trying to reach his students in the engineering levels before he can get the lift down there a massive explosion launches Isaac in the air hitting the wall knocking him out cold. He wakes a moment later to see the area around him decimated and the emergency alarms sounding he grabs a plasma rifle, gets up and continues moving to find his students on the way he tries to contact them with no success.

"Son of a… Isaac Clarke to engineering, Max, Daniels, Samantha anyone." [Only hearing static]

"Shit… R.I.G, contact Ellie Clarke."

[His RIGLink opens]

"Hello Isaac?"

"Ellie thank god are you alright?"

"Yes I'm okay for now… are you here on the ship?"

"Yeah where are you?"

"I'm… I think I'm near the crew quarters I got separated from the security detail the area is destroyed around me I'll try to get around the rubble and meet you."

"See if you can meet me and my students at the escape bay I'm going down to engineering to look for them."

"Alright… Isaac have you seen Lex since the attack?"

"Yes I saw her on my way to the bridge before the attack I haven't seen her since."

"Okay I'm detecting her R.I.G she's alive but I can't track her movements or raise her."

"See if you can find her but god please be careful."

"I will I love you."

"I love you too."

They both make their ways to the goals, as Isaac makes his way through the collapsed sections upon making his way to a junction he looks out a window seeing the ships attacking them moving closer to them. As they close in smaller ships are launched at the Hail.

"AH shit Isaac to Captain do you read?"

"Isaac Jesus, are you okay where are you?!"

"Captain listen to me boarding ships are coming our way they're going board us by the looks of their size I'd say where about to be against an army warn your men!?"

"Alright thank you we'll be ready for them Isaac about your students there R.I.G signals are…"

"What what's happened?"

"Half of them are showing up as flat lines and the other half are not showing up at all."

"Oh… no." [Leans against the wall and places his hand on his forehead]

"I'm… I'm sorr…"

Before he can finish his sentence an explosion breaks out on the bridge cutting off the signal on the intercom an announcement is sent out.

"Warning hull breach detected decompression on the bridge – zero life signs."

"Captain… captain!" [Static]

"Ah… ah shit."

"Isaac its Ellie I just heard the bridge is…"

"Yes they're gone."

"Oh my god… are you okay?"

"Half of my students are missing and I just found out some of them are dead."

"I'm sorry."

"I'll be okay Ellie brace yourself we're about to be boarded…"

A boarder ship penetrates the hull in front of Isaac it opens and off loads R.I.G suited troops, a fierce fire fight breaks out during the fight, Isaac TKs fuel canisters and hurls them into the ceiling violently exploding making it collapse on them killing them he moves on and runs into Lexine.

"Isaac!"

"Are you okay?"

"Yes I'm fine, we're fine."

"We're?"

Five of Isaac students come around the corner.

"Mr. Clarke!"

"Samantha are all of you alright?"

"Yes we're okay what about the others I cannot reach them."

"They others didn't make it."

"My god no, who are those people attacking us?"

"I have no idea they could be separatist but I don't know for sure and we don't have time the ship has catastrophic damage and can go critical at anytime we have to get to the life pods."

"I checked our location we're near a planet and we can land there." [Said Samantha]

"Nice the escape pods are just ahead let's get going."

When they make it to the escape pods they are ambushed by a squad of the attacking forces killing three of the surviving students, a stun grenade is thrown at Isaac and his companions knocking them out. Upon awakening one of attackers looms over Isaac he knees down to him.

"So your Isaac Clarke heard a lot of stories about you the first when you went to the Ishimura, to Tau Volantis then the Necro War."

"What do you fucking want?"

"Me… hehe I don't want anything but to serve my god speaking of which "He" sends his regards."

"He?"

"Now you die." [Aims his gun at his head]

Ellie jumps out from behind rubble shooting at the troopers, Isaac TK blasts the rest against the walls.

"Isaac!"

"Ellie nice shooting."

"Thanks nice job getting caught."

Just then multiple massive explosions break out throughout the ship crippling it into breaking up.

"No we have to go now the ship is lost its going down get to the pods!"

"Danger catastrophic reactor failure, ship integrity has failed all hands abandon ship repeat abandon ship."

They unlock the pods and they board them then suddenly many more explosions breakout and the USM Hail begins to split in two the vacuum affect kicks in and the gravity fails Isaac and Lex being the last to get in the pods the vacuum takes hold of Lex, Isaac quickly grabs hold of her hand trying to pull her in.

"Isaac we're losing oxygen we need to launch now!"

"No not yet help me pull her in!"

The vacuum gets even stronger and Lexine starts to slip from Isaac's grip.

"Isaac, please tell Gabe and Branna that I love them."

[As tears form in her eyes and are blown away by the vacuum]

Lexine then let's go of Isaac's hand and is sucked away into the vacuum vanishes into the blackness of space and the pods doors close, Isaac bangs on the door in anger.

"NO!"

The pod launches and speeds away as the rest of the USM Hail violently blows up into pieces. The pod then falls along with debris from the ship in to the planet's atmosphere after moments of falling blazingly through the air they crash land on the surface, the pod doors open and they get out and look up at the sky as burning wreckage fall out of the sky like meteors. Isaac crushed by guilt falls to his knees.

"I let her go; I can't believe I let her go." [Ellie wraps her arms around him.]

"Don't blame yourself Isaac she did it to save us." [Tearfully]

"I know but still…"

"It's okay…"

Ellie's R.I.G beeps to an incoming call.

"Isaac its Gabe… do you want me to tell him?"

"No I'll tell him."

Ellie turns on her Link.

"Ellie, Isaac are you there?"

"Gabe we're here."

"Good what the hell happened we lost all contact with the USM Hail we got a distress call from the ship what the hell happened?"

"We were attacked we don't know by who."

"Separatists?"

"No they were different."

"Okay I'm sending a ship to pick you guys up we have your pods beacon."

"Alright but Gabe there's something you need to know… Gabe we… we lost Lexine."

"You… you what?"

"While we were escaping, we lost Lexine when the ship went down; she sacrificed herself so we could escape."

"I… I she's gone?"

"Gabe I'm so sorry I tried to save her, I tried."

"Are you okay?" [Asked Ellie]

"Yeah… well at least I will be look come and meet me at TarraGov HQ when you get back I'll be at Carver's office."

"Okay we'll be there."

"Later." [The link closes]


	4. Awake

Chapter 4

Awake

In a locked room somewhere on the plagued ship Dean regains conciseness after being out for an unknown amount of time, Dean gets up from the bunk bed and looks around the small quarters.

"What the… this is Alpha Leader to Alpha team anyone receiving?"

Dean hears nothing but static on his RIGLink.

"Shit… I repeat this is Alpha Leader to Alpha team does anyone read me."

Dean finally gets a reply.

"Captain is that you?"

"Alpha yeah it's me are you all right?"

"Yeah I'm fine I just woke up, never mind me sir are you okay?"

"Minor throbbing what the hell did they use on us I'm having trouble moving my body it feel s numb?" [Leaning against the wall]

"Same here it was some kind of nerve gas nothing I'm familiar with but very strong."

"Have you been able to raise the others?"

"No and I can't track any of our movements either our RIGs are not broadcasting at all I can't tell if any of the others are alive."

"Doesn't our RIGs auto-sync with the ship?"

"Yes they do but they're not communicating with the ship it's like something is jamming them."

"That might be it; a jammer would explain why comms are out."

"Possibly… damn it."

"What is it?"

"They took my weapons even my knife."

"Same here, we have to get out here we can't stay here."

"I agree we should be able to hack our doors open."

"Already done mines had weak encryption."

"Alright I'll see if I can find a terminal and try to get some type of orientation."

"Okay I'll see if I can locate our weapons and anyone else."

"Roger be careful."

Dean leaves the room and quietly explores the dimly lit hallways, after moving three floors up he comes to a long hall filled with necromorphs.

"Shit." [He whispered to himself and hides behind a beam]

"What is it sir?"

"Am close to the exit but the hall is crawling with necromorphs and I don't see a way around them."

"Okay I found a terminal and I have you on the floor plan right next to you there's a ventilation shaft that goes right under them and will lead you to the other side."

"Knowing that they use the vent too?"

[As he opens and crawls inside the shaft]

"Unfortunately it the only way out of there, it might be a good idea to just stay out of their way and avoid them all together until we get our guns back from what I've read about the Necro war these guys are mean and brutal fuckers."

"Okay."

Dean continues slowly and quietly crawling through vent while the Slashers above him aimlessly walk around the hall gurgling and snarling. Dean makes it to the other side of the exit after crawling for a while occasionally stopping as to not alert the necros above him.

"Finally, god that was heart pounding."

"You made it?"

"Yes where are you?"

"I found an elevator that will take us back to the upper levels and what luck I found our weapons there inside an armory I send the directions to your waypoint."

"Good work."

"Get here quick I need your help to pry the doors open."

"Got it sit tight I'm not far."

As Dean makes his way to Alpha he hears something that get his attention, Dean hears that sound of someone singing on his comm link, a voice he recognizes that puts him on edge."

"Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky."

"Mom?"

"When the blazing sun is gone, when the nothing shines upon."

"Mom it's me Dean, can you hear me?"

"Then you show your little light, twinkle, twinkle all the night."

Dean is overcome by a headache that nearly makes him collapse; he closes his eyes then opens them to see the environment around him covered in marker symbols that bare an ominous red glow.

"Then the traveler in the dark, thanks you for your little spark, he could not see which way to go, if you did not twinkle so."

Dean continues slowly walking down the dark hall when his vision becomes a blurry red and orange.

"What what's happening what is this?"

"When the blazing sun is gone, when the nothing shines upon."

Dean looks around him frantically hearing snarling as if it's moving towards him from all directions.

"Though I know not what you are, twinkle, twinkle little star."

Dean finally calms down as the snarling recedes and the symbols everywhere fade away along with his vision returns to normal. Dean turns around to walk away when a slasher runs up to him with its face dead up to his snarling. Dean covers his face and falls to the floor in fright and the slasher as quickly it appeared out of air it vanished in a flash of red and orange.

"Captain, captain did you hear me?"

"What?"

"I said are you okay I heard you screaming."

"I thought I saw… hey did you hear anyone singing on your link?"

"A matter of fact I did, it was you I heard you singing Twinkle little star."

"What are you sure?"

"Positive why you heard someone else?"

"Yes I heard a woman singing over my link I thought… it sounded like my mother she was singing that song."

"I didn't hear anyone singing that but you sir."

"Alright never mind I'm almost there."

Dean meets up with alpha and both pry the armory doors open. They reequip themselves with their weapons and afterwards set off to find the rest of their teammates.

"Did you raise anyone else?"

"No strange thing I tried talking to Aegis but he wasn't answering me the system says he's still online but nonresponsive, I did manage to locate a possible RIG signal I think its Tyrell's."

"The kid but like I said if there a jammer scrambling our comms and RIG locators then we can't tell if he's alive."

"Right… and that might not be a problem much longer I think I have a location on the jammer and it's a bit a ways from us yet so is Tyrell's signature."

"Let's disable the jammer first so we can locate the rest and if we find them along the way then great."

"Alright."

Both hear another announcement over the PA.

"Warning Attention emergency power down to 18%, Reminder life-support is being maintained by the emergency power if an alternative power source is not found life-support will fail."

"Oh hell completely forgot about that, we should restore power first then move on the jammer if life-support goes then we and everyone else alive will die."

"Let's go I have the rout in our waypoints!"

Both run racing against time to the engineering levels so they can restart the reactors before life-support fails killing them all. After running for a long time using their waypoints, upon entering the engineering levels the bulkheads opens revealing the two reactors.

"Alright let's get to work the restart points should on the other side of the room."

Before they start running for the reactors they are stopped by a large necromorph that lands in front of them, it grabs hold of Dean and throws him half way across the room. Dean looks up at the necromorph which charges at me roaring loudly Dean runs towards it with his rifle high and ready, before it could hit him again he slides right underneath it shooting both its legs off. He quickly gets up as it roars with rage and shoots its yellow glowing back which spews gushing amounts of blood; it falls to the floor dead and lets out a growl as it bleeds out.

"Damn it I wonder if dad had this many what the fuck moments."

"You okay, nice shooting by the way?"

"I'm fine it only hurt my pride."

"Warning emergency power critical power is down to 2% please verify your personal oxygen supplies evacuation advised."

"Come on lets restart these reactors!"

"Okay the schematics say that we need to turn the restart keys for each reactor in unison, one clockwise and the other counter clockwise."

"Got it I'll do counter you do clockwise." [Both get into position]

"Alright captain on 3."

"Ready."

"1, 2… 3!" [Both turn the keys]

Both reactors begin to spin with small electrical discharges running up and down its length while emitting a low humming sound.

"Okay one more!" [As they run to the second reactor]

"Okay ready 1, 2, 3!"

Both reactors then shoot out a shockwave of energy as it lights up brightly and spins at high speed.

"Attention reactor manual restart successful, emergency power offline and recharging, initiating ship-wide system reboot, all doors unlocked opening all bulkheads."

"Ah we did it that was a close call."

"Yeah we should be able to get around a lot easier now."

"Good let's find that jammer take it out so we can tell HQ what going on here."

"I'm getting a better frequency on it, it's defiantly not a portable device its coming from the comm-center near the bridge… how strange."

"That's unusual?"

"Yeah when I first detected it the frequency suggested it was from a portable device but it just changed into a stationary frequency." [As they exit the reactor chamber]

"You know since I woke up I've been getting the feeling like I'm being watched."

"Me too, are you sure your okay I mean the way you screamed I never heard you like that before and knowing you sir, you don't scare easily?"

"Your right I don't I just had a little of a freak show moment that's all."

"If you say so."

Both continue on moving through the blood stained hallways of the Talos, they go on for almost half an hour when they encounter more survivors. Dean and Alpha see a small group of people running towards them from a corner yelling.

"Ahhh run you sons of bitches run!"

"The fuck." [Dean exclaims]

"Captain look."

Alpha points to a massive swarm of small insect-like necromorphs scurrying towards them screeching loudly.

"Shit run!"

They run with the group away from the swarm. As they run one the soldiers' slips on a puddle of blood and tumbles to the floor, the small necromorphs surround him. He frantically fumbles for his pistol and shoots wildly at the swarm until he runs out of ammo, when his gun clicks after the last round the surrounding swarm leaps on him until he's covered with them. He screams and violently squirms as they devour him alive, after a few seconds they clear away to reveal skeletal remains and continue pursuing the survivors.

"Son of a…" [Both say as they run with the group]

They run through the halls with the survivors trying to lose the swarm, Dean and Alpha catch up to the rest of the group.

"Come one come on!"

Dean slides into the room and they shut the door before the swarm can get him. One of the necromorphs gets caught in between the doors and is severed in half, it dies and disintegrates.

"Okay is everyone alright?"[Asked Alpha]

"We're fine are you TerraGove Special Forces?"

"Yes I'm Captain Clarke this is my second in command Alpha."

"Was that you restarting the reactors?"

"Yes."

"Fuck that's not good."

"You know something we don't?"

"We have to get to the bridge quickly the navigation system was rigged by someone to set course back to Terra, we can't let the ship go back to home base with necromorphs aboard."

"What, oh hell the same people that ambushed me and my team."

"We've seen them, dark RIG suits they killed a few of my men most of us are all that's left of the ships security."

"This makes sense infect a ship with a crew over 10,000,000 people, have it rigged to go back home obviously someone wants another necro war, could these people be unitologist they were working with the brethren moons during the war?" [Dean speculates]

"They could be you'd think they would have disbanded after they're so called living god was destroyed by your father."

"Yeah… what were those things chasing us they looked like bugs?"

"When the crew first encountered them they were small in umbers they didn't hurt anyone, they were merely a pest it was only after that shockwave hit the ship was when they started attacking people they called them Necromites, these nasty fuckers devour almost anything in sight."

"Who came up with the name?"

"I did, sorry I'm Dr. Helena Frost I'm a researcher here unfortunately those creatures were our fault."

"How so?"

"Well we were experimenting with the marker we discovered."

"So there is a marker on board, you worked on it?"

"Yes I am… I was a scientist working for the separatists; we had data on many different types of necromorphs from the war a century ago and the most types we saw were created form different host mostly aliens, humans and animals from Earth the Necromites are made from pill bugs we wanted to see how the marker's signal would affect insects and it was quiet the same as people it made them mad, pit them against each other until they were dead then after death that's when they mutated into those things we were running from."

"The little shits are brutal and almost unstoppable, our heavy RIG suits can withstand their sharp teeth but they're clever they focus on one area on the suit, they did that to one of my guys' poor bastard once they breached his they swarmed right in and ate him alive in his suit."

"Yes they are quite lethal."

"So why were your former employers studying it?"

"I guess they were curious, at the end of the necro war when your father defeated the elder moon all the moons and markers were all destroyed, but this marker somehow survived."

"Look Miss. Frost I need you to tell me everything else you know about the marker you and your fellow researchers were studying."

"I don't know much I was just an assistant I was not privy to everything only the experiments with specimens, whatever else they were doing with it I had no idea."

"Okay well we need to stop the ship form going back to anywhere near Terra space then get in touch with HQ and get some back up."

"There's a jammer scrambling all comms we can't call anyone until we disable it."

"Yes we've been trying to find too but its locator signal keeps changing like someone keeps moving it whenever we close."

"Same here I'm still reading as a stationary we should move before it's moved again."

They are all startled but the scraping sound coming from the door.

"Oh god they're eating through the door!"

"Is there another way out of here like vents or preferably another door?"

"No this store room we're trapped in here but there is a vent in the other room, you do know the other necromorphs use them too."

"I know but we have no choice unless if you want to get eaten."

"Agreed."

They all gather in the other room.

"Alright I'll go first, Alpha give me a boost up Frost you'll be behind me okay?"

"Okay."

Dean opens and lifts himself into the vent, Dr. Frost is helped up by Alpha then the rest enter the vents. As the last one enters the vent the bottom of the door is eaten away and the necromites rush into the store room searching for their prey.

"Okay if we keep going straight we should make it to the main junction."

"Good since the power is back on we can use the lifts to reach the bridge level." [Whispers]

Some minutes later they reach the main junction the group struggles to find a way out of the vents as the corruption infestation in the junction advanced much since Dean last visited the area.

"Ah damn it the access hatches are stuck because of this sticky crap, Frost help me open this."

"Okay." [Positions herself beside the hatch pushing the hatch open]

They finally get the hatch open and one by one exit the vents and take the lifts up. They take the lift all the way to the top to the bridge level as they walk down a long hallway they see more bodies scattered about, Dean takes a closer look.

"Sir these bodies are…"

"I know they're TerraGove Special Forces… Echo team my sister's in that team."

Feeling his missing sister is near he goes on ahead of the group to the bridge.

"Laura!"

"Sir wait!"

"Where are you?"

"Who's he looking for?" [Asked Frost]

"His sister was here with a team about four weeks ago until they went missing." [Answered Alpha]

As they enter the bridge they see dead necromorphs everywhere Dean continues looking for his lost sister, while the others try to reprogram the navigation system. Dean is hit with another headache that makes him dizzy and his vision becomes a deep blurry orange like before, he hears a voice that disturb him even more.

"Deeaann help me, help us, make us whole, make us whole, make us whole."

The voice resumes saying the same words till it stops when Alpha touches him on his shoulder, his vision snaps back to normal.

"Hay sir please talk to me your seriously starting to worry me."

"What do you mean I feel fine?"  
"You were doing it again you just stand still staring out into space first you were singing and now you were chanting "make us whole" what does that mean?"

"The marker… I think it's calling out to me."

"That would make sense I've heard and read a lot about your fathers experiences with the markers they all had a strong connection to him and maybe this connection was pasted on to you in some way."

[Said Frost]

Dean is suddenly attacked by a necromorph that breaks through a door in front of him pinning him to the wall, before Alpha can draw his gun it sucker punches him off his feet then grabs hold of Dean's neck strangling him. A bladed appendage extends from its back and arches ready to impale him through his forehead, as it comes within an inch of impaling him a plasma saw rips through its chest and slices it in half up to it head. Dean kicks the necorpmorh off him then looks up at a pistol aiming for his forehead, Dean recognizes the person.

"Laura, Laura it's me Dean!" [Puts his hand up blocking the gun]

"D… Dean is that… are you… are you real?" [Panting]

"Yeah yes it me I'm here." [Slowly rises with his hands up]

She heavily sighs in relief lowering her gun and hugs him.

"I can't believe you're here."

"Are you okay where's the rest of your team?"

"All dead I'm all that's left of Echo team."

"You won't be able to alter the nav its systems are rigged and melted to the core."

"So we're completely locked out?"

"Yes, we were ambushed by people they sabotaged the navigation so we can't stop the ship from going back to Terra space."

"Well we can try…"

"Believe me I've tried everything I sabotaged the engines, the power whatever I could and nothing worked the damn ship has too many contingency fail safes but one thing seemed to worked I shut down the power, the reactors."

"And we made this worse turning them back on."

"Well we can't turn them back off or we'll be back on emergency power." [Stated Dean]

"We have to, emergency power can last up to a month if rationed carefully we just need to shut off all none critical systems and we can do that from here." [Walks to a workstation]

Laura operates the terminal.

"Shutting down all non critical assets, switching to low power operations."

"There, that should by us a lot of time."

"Okay, if we want to stop this infection from reaching Terra we need to destroy the marker, Frost you worked in the lab were you preformed your experiments is marker still there?"

"It should be it was never moved from its containment area but I never personally saw it my access only permitted me to be in a certain areas of the lab, the outer labs the marker would be in the inner labs."

"Where is the lab located?"

"There's an entrance near the cargo hold I know the way."

"Oh by the way Dean I took care of one of the jammers on my way here but there's still one more and its emanating from a part of the ship that's not showing up on the floor plan my guess it's the labs." [Said Laura]

"Yes that right we kept a two jammers in the labs to prevent people from detecting the labs and intercepting comms between the guards there."

"Okay are we done here?"

"Yes I finished switching over the systems."

"Laura, are you sure we can't alter our course?"

"Yes my team tried before, the systems here are rigged to blow if tampered with."

"Fuck okay let's move, with luck we'll run into more of my team along the way."

All exit the bridge and set off to find the ships hidden labs to destroy the marker before the ship reaches TerraGove territory.


	5. A Strange Clue

Chapter 5

A Strange Clue

Dean and Laura are separated from their group after leaving the bridge when they were attacked by three Brutes that bashed their way out of nowhere behind them.

"Son of a… where the hell did they come from!?"

"Who the fuck cares run!?" [Shouted the security chief]

Two of them go after the group while the third chases Dean and Laura through a corridor. As they to Dean's surprise run into Vince Blake startling him.

"Where the hell have you been!?" [Dean exclaimed]

"Staying alive."

"Why didn't you stay in the damn AI core?" [Dean asked]

"Guys now's not the time that thing is heading this way."

The Brute peaks out from behind the corner of the corridor spotting them, it roars and charges at them. They run till the reach the end of the hall and past by an armored door they quickly close to stop the Brute from following, a second after closes it clanks loudly as it collides with it trying to break the door down. The Brute soon gives up as its unable to bring down the door and walks away growling and snarling.

"Okay right now I'll ask you again why didn't you respond when we contacted at the AI core?"

"The jammers must've been smothering my signal I couldn't get through nor get anything from you guys plus I couldn't stay somehow those things found a way in and I had to get out of there."

"What about Aegis he tried talking to him too and he wasn't responding?" [Dean inquired]

"I have no idea he wouldn't say anything after you guys left and moments later he just turned off."

Dean tries to plot a path to the cargo hold but to find the jamming signals are making the waypoints go berserk.

"Shit the waypoints are down and the comms are still being scrambled we're gonna have to find our own way to the hold… I don't suppose you know how to get there." [Dean asked Vince]

"No I'm just a steward I worked in the kitchen and brought meals to the bridge staff and the captain that and general access was all I was granted."

"I think I know I went by there a day ago follow me." [Said Laura]

"Okay." [Said Dean as he puts his helmet on]

While Dean, Blake and Laura make their way to the hold, Frost and Alpha along with their small group of survivors do the same following Frost's directions to their destination.

"Hey doctor is there any chance those Necromites that were chasing us might show up again?" [Asked Alpha]

"It's possible… they're persistent and unpredictable."

"If you don't mind me asking how did you get into something like this researching necromorphs and finding a marker?"

"To your government's eyes I'm a separatist since I was born and I live in the colonies that demanded independence, to be their own government but TerraGove refused to allow us that hence why things are not great right with our two groups."

"I'm sorry I didn't mean…"

"It's okay I don't pay any mind to something stupid things that's going on right now in the galaxy, but to answer your question I was recruited because I had a piece of a marker and I gave it to them and helped them grow it so I was responsible for creating it… we didn't find it we made it from that shard of one that survived Aegis VII's destruction my grandfather found it when he worked for CEC on some unexplored planet and gave it to me as a gift but he didn't know what it was neither did I until I was older I thought only that it was pretty with the red crystal like markings and the dark almost black red stone surrounding it and realized that that rock was a shard of a marker"

"How did it not affect your mind I read that markers even if broken into pieces they can still operate and every piece would have to be completely destroyed." [Alpha inquired]

"I don't know I thought the same even during the Necro War when I had it with me but then again their times when I was little and went to bed I started hearing whispers I quickly realized they were coming from the shard at the same time the red symbols on it would glow dimly."

They reach another lift that takes the below more decks.

"Sometimes it would say random stuff things I didn't understand even if I tried and some nights it would say horrible things like my mother and grandfather and all my friends and I was going to die."

"That's had to have been disturbing."

"It was one night it got worse it was saying the same bad things and I took it and put it in a box in hopes it would stop, but it didn't that's when I got the biggest scare of my childhood."

"What happened?"

Helena was silent thinking of that night.

"After I put it back in the box my grandfather brought it in and went back to bed it spoke my name, I still remember it… it said "Let me out Helena it's not nice to ignore me those who do often get hurt or die most of the time both." That's when I ran out of my room to my mother."

"Jesus, did you tell her?"

"No… what was I gonna say that a rock my grandfather gave me talks to me and tells me bad horrible things what would your parents think if you said that?"

"They probably think I were crazy."

"Precisely… we're getting near another junction after that there should be a tram system nearby that'll take us to the area were the hold is."

"Okay damn it we better find those jammers I can't tell where the captain and his sister are I still don't can read our own RIGs on my scans."

"The first one shouldn't be hard to find one is stationary and its inside the outer labs the out however might be difficult, its portable like Dean said which if those guys are still here they might have it."

Dean, Laura and Blake find their way to one of the residential decks of the crew. Dean carefully checks the corners with his gun mid-high at the ready, before he turns completely he catches a glimpse of one the mysterious men that ambushed him and his team walking out of one of the crew quarters holding a big case in his left arm that bares a bio-hazard mark on it. Dean gives Laura and Blake the hand signal to stop, the men goes into another quarters across from the one came out.

"It's one of them black suits yellow visors." [Dean whispers]

"What's he doing here he looks like he looking for something?" [Hushed]

"Don't know let's find out you go that way around over to him I'll approach him this way… Blake stay behind me."

"Alright."

Laura goes down the hall around to the room and waits at the corner at the end of the hall ready to cut the guy off if he gets alerted to them, Dean and Blake quietly approach the room. The guy leaves the room unexpected to them but surprisingly doesn't notice them, Dean quickly rushes up behind him. The man stops when he feels the point of Dean's rifle touch his back.

"Hands up drop the case and gun now." [Dean orders]

The man looks over his right shoulder then does as he's ordered, Dean attempts to restrain him but he in a flash upon him grabbing his arm he turns around and kicks and punches Dean knocking him on the floor. He grabs his gun and the case and starts running past Blake in the opposite way they expected him to flee Laura runs back to them.

"Dean you alright?"

"Yeah let's get this bastard!" [All three run after the man]

As they catch up to him he fires his plasma pistol a few times at his pursuers, Dean determined to catch him fires back in efforts to maim and slow him down. He shots him in the arm knocking the case out of his arm and Laura takes a shot at his leg he tumbles to the ground and tries crawling to his gun as they run to him. Knowing he won't reach his gun he draws his knife wielding it at Dean and Laura.

"Give it up we have you." [Shouted Laura]

The man speaks.

"You have nothing spawns of the marker killer, one mind one body we shall be made whole!"

He stabs himself multiple times severing the arteries in his neck while laughing manically until he finally bleeds out and his laughter dies out into gags and gurgling from drown and choking on his own blood.

"Ah fuck crazy son of bitch." [Said Dean]

"I think it's safe to say these guys are unitologist." [Said Laura]

Laura walks over to the case the man dropped in his haste and examines it she feels the edges for a way to open it while Dean searches the man's body for anything useful. Soon Blake finally catches up to them.

"Damn you guys can run." [Out of breath]

"That out of shape huh?" [Said Dean]

"That's the military for you they make us run it's a good way to stay in shape."

"Are sure you want to open that I mean it has a bio-hazard mark on it and it looks secured?"

"If you're scared of getting something you can just step back." [Sarcastically]

She finds and pushes a button that unlocks it, she carefully opens it reveling vials full of glowing thick yellowish fluid.

"That looks like something I don't want to mess with."

"Dean look at this."

"What?" [He walks over]

"I'm thinking this came from that lab Frost was talking about."

"Looks like it we'll take it with us and see if she knows anything about this."

"You think they might be in the labs already if they had access to this?"

"It's possible we'll just have to be more careful."

They leave the area, from a distance one of the mysterious men watches them walk away. He contacts his other men on the ship reporting one of their own failed his task then he leaves.


	6. Liberation

Chapter 6

Liberation

Dean, Laura and Blake continue on through blood stained halls while Dean tries to contact Aegis.

"Still not responding?" [Asked Laura]

"Yeah I don't know wat happened he was fine when we reactivated him but… Vance you're sure he didn't say anything before he went silent?"

"Yeah I'm sure, he was on one moment then he just turned off."

"That's very bizarre." [Said Dean]

[RIG Link opens]

"Dean are you guys alright?" [Asked Frost]

"Yeah we ran into one of our "friends"."

"Figures… what happened?"

"We tried to capture him but he killed himself when we caught up with him."

"Typical marker heads." [Said Alpha]

"He was carrying something; a case."

"What… what case?" [Frost asked]

"A metal one there's a bio-hazard mark on it I'd wager it's from the labs." [Said Laura]

"That belongs to…"

"Helena?" [Said Dean]

"That case was used by the head researcher Dr. Mason Cremer he was my boss."

"What was he doing these vials they don't look like something you want to mess with?"

"There's more then what I told you that you should know… Cremer was doing something outside of his work with the marker."

"Sounds like he had his own agenda with the work."

"Oh he did what I found out was disturbing… he was creating in secret a necromorph of some sort, more advanced than anything seen in the war."

"How did you find out?"

"I hacked undetected into his personal journals in the system and there were many entries and data files on a creature he called The Undertaker."

"Where was he storing it because I think if he were working on his own project he'd be careful about people finding out about it."

"I know where, it's in a secret area of the inner labs not even the lab security knew about."

Dean and his group stop n there tracks when the lights around them fail leaving only his RIG Link being the only light source. Both Dean and Laura press a button on their belt buckles making some parts of his suit glow in the darkness providing decent light around them

"The lighting just went out all over the deck."

"Are you okay?"

"We're okay the lights just…"

Suddenly the ceiling in front of them comes down on top of them all three narrowly jump out of the way.

"Captain what's happening!?"

"Trouble!"

Dean exits the link and gets up from the floor looking at the large hole in the ceiling then a monstrous insect- like creature falls down the breach landing on its sharp appendages cutting into the metal floor. Blake panics at the sight of it trying to crawl away from it.

"Oh fuck… not you again!" [Blake screamed as it staggers toward him]

"What the fuck?"

Dean shoots at the creature shifting its focus to him, he gets up and shoots it again but his shots have no effect but angering it. It rushes at Dean screeching and wildly swinging its sharp appendages, he too rushes at it drawing both of his knives. Before its bladed limbs hit him he drops to his knees sliding on them under it cutting its underbelly open, he slides out from under it cutting its back legs. Laura jumps on its back stabbing its armored neck chipping away its hard shell revealing its vulnerable spots.

"Dean its neck!"

"Got it!"

Dean runs around and jumps on its front thrusting his blades in its mouth piercing its hidden vital organs, Laura breaks through the rest of the hard shell she delivers the final blow into its neck. It screams flailing around in circles then finally falls, Blake gets out from behind a strut finding his new companions victorious.

"Is… is it dead?" [Blake asked]

Dean kicks the creature's head.

"Yeah its dead now let's go before something else shows up."

"My waypoint says the route ahead will lead us to the cargo hold."

"Nice suits I didn't know they glowed in the dark." [Said Blake]

"They're prototypes Laura and I are field testing them."

"I say they pass its pitch black in here and you two are like waling glow worms."

They make haste out of the corridor unknown to them the creature revives and flees back up the hole in the ceiling.

Meanwhile on Terra Isaac and Ellie arrive along with his surviving students. All exit off the shuttle's ramp, Isaac and Ellie meet Gabe near a corner who sits on one of the many seats in the spaceport. As they approach him he lifts his head looking at them, he rises up and walks to both of them. Feeling his heavy sadness within Ellie hugs him.

"Are you okay?" [She asks]

"No… I'm not… but I think I will be in time."

"Gabe I'm sorry… I'm the one that let her go I failed you both."

"Thank you but really I just need time, we all fail at something at some point."

"I thought you were gonna meet us a Carver's office."

"I decided to meet you guys and bring you or rather seeing you guys again kinda takes some of the pain away call it emotional support."

"Well we're here for you if you need us." [Said Ellie]

"Thanks Ellie lets go the ships waiting."

"Give me minute with my students okay." [Said Isaac]

"Go ahead we'll wait." [Said Gabe]

Ellie and Gabe walk to the other shuttle waiting to take them to TerraGov HQ, while Isaac approaches his students some still shaken by their traumatic experience.

"Mr. Clarke?"

"Samantha I need you to take them back to the university okay I sent a message to my assistant about what happened he'll take care you guys."

"Okay there's a shuttle leaving for the university soon we'll be okay."

"I got to but I'll see you guys later."

"Be safe." [Said Samantha]

Isaac leaves his students then boards the shuttle and leaves, Ellie rest in a seat while Isaac goes to Gabe who stares out a large window overlooking New Haven City as they fly over to their destination.

"Hey I almost forgot to tell you, she wanted me to tell you something."

"What is it?"

"She wanted me to tell you that she loved you and Branna very much."

[Gabe sighs in pain]

"Thanks for telling me…"

"Hey did something… happen to you two, before shit hit fan I talked with her briefly she said you two were in a time out or separated rather?"

"I made a mistake… one I never thought I'd ever make."

"What happened?" [Isaac asked]

"Two months ago I… met an old friend from a long time ago back during the resource wars, her and I were close growing up and we haven't seen nor heard from each other since till just recently."

Gabe sits and sighs again.

"While Lex was away prepping with Ellie and the other diplomats for their met up, I went out to a bar for a drink and we met there I didn't recognize her but she knew me and I remembered her when I got a good look at her face… we talked for a while, caught up with the many years since then, had a few drinks."

[Scoffs at himself]

"A few drinks" that's a fucking understatement."

"What do you mean?"

"We got drunk… very, and afterwards we left… and it went black after that but the next day came I realized what happened when I woke up in her house next her in bed."

"Oh."

"I fucking cheated on Lex."

"And she found out?"

"No I told her happened with me and her and understandably she was upset… her, Melinda she felt bad about what happened and she wanted to take responsibility but I told her I'll do it since it was my fault."

"Gabe it wasn't you or anyone's fault."

"If you were in my position would Ellie believe you if you said that or any women for that matter if their men cheated on them because they were drunk."

"I don't know how Ellie would react but your right I can't tell how others would react either though I like to think she'd in time listen to my side of the story and hopefully forgive me."

"Always the optimist eh?"

"Does Branna know?"

"I sent her message but no I rather tell her in person."

"Good she's gonna need you it's hard losing a parent."

"Yes she will, Isaac I… thanks for the talk you, Ellie and the rest of the old gang you're the best friends I ever had."

"Of course, looks like we're here."

The shuttle docks at the buildings hanger, they meet Carver at his office.

"Isaac, Ellie."

"Carver." [Said Isaac]

"Thank god you guys are alright I read the reports."

"Do you happen to know what the hell's going on because I just lost half of my students to those damned unitologist."

"T.G.I.A has agents investigating as we speak Isaac we will find whose responsible for these strings of attacks."

"General Ashatear good to see again."

"Likewise Isaac, Ellie."

"Good to see."

"What do you mean "string of attacks" there has been more than one of these attacks?"

"Yes and no most of them are unprovoked attacks and quite a few have been a number of thefts and disappearances of TerraGov battle cruisers the earliest one being the USM Talos."

"What's the most recent?"

"The USM Daedalus's Approach the rest of brass are really pissed off about this one as you remember was the one of three of the prides of the fleets."

"I remember, what about the twin sister ships, Avalon's and Arcadia's Approach?"

"They're safe and accounted for."

"Okay what about the Talos, will there be any attempt to search and recover it?" [Asked Ellie]

Carver looks towards Isaac both know what's recently happened. Isaac looks back at Carver nodding his head then he tells Ellie what he knows.

"As I understand you sent two teams to look for and recover the Talos right Carver?"

"Yes… Ellie Dean and Laura are missing as well."

"What?" [Confused and shocked]

"We lost contact with Echo team initially the first to go dark then we sent Dean and his Alpha team to search for them and the ship… soon after they went dark as well and there still no contact form either of them."

Ellie looks to Isaac.

"You knew… Isaac why didn't you tell me?"

"I'm sorry Ellie I didn't want you to worry I should have told you, Dean visited while you were away getting ready for the diplomatic talks and I thought he'd be okay but…"

"Okay we need to find them; we're going after them." [Ellie declared]

"Ellie?" [Said Asha]

"She's right there our kids and they need help." [Said Isaac]

"Isaac, Ellie I can't let you do that there are protocols."

"Damn it Carver they are practically your nephew and niece." [Said Ellie]

"I know that Ellie but if you do this the council may charge you two with obstruction of a government investigation which is a very serious offense…. worst case scenario and seeing as we're dangerously close to war with them they might accuse you of being a spy of the separatists and disregard all the good things you did in the war and your roles in it."

"Ellie he has point these are different times with different rules this isn't the Necro War anymore where the old council gave us authority to act on our own." [Said Gabe]

"If I might make a suggestion as a friend?" [Asked Asha]

He closes the door to ward off prying ears and they converse in hushed tones.

"I'm sure our old friend Hex can help with that his ship the Patriarch got us through thick and thicker Carver and I will do what we can to keep them off your backs as long as you be discreet as possible but you must know they will find out eventually and it could be bad."

"We'll take that risk they may be adults but they are still our kids and we're their parents." [Said Ellie]

"Okay then I'll contact Hex." [Said Carver]

"You guys will need gear and weapons you can leave that to me."

"Thanks Asha." [Said Ellie]

"If you don't mind I'd imagine Ash will wont to join he's been itching for action lately."

"Of course doesn't hurt to have a heavy hitter."

"I'll let him know he'll meet you guys later."

Isaac and Ellie for the time being return to their home and wait and prep to rescue their son and daughter.


	7. Liberation Part 2

Chapter 7

Liberation Part 2

Ellie and Isaac drive on a long road back from the city to their home in the remote valleys near the outskirts of New Haven, Ellie lays back resting in the passenger seat in their car.

"Hon you okay?" [He asked]

"Not really but I'll live, this has been a real mess first that ambush losing Lexine and now our kids are missing."

"They're tough kids don't worry we'll find them don't worry too much."

"I know they are… your students will they be okay?" [Undoes her ponytail]

"I told them to go back to the university to meet my assistant… he'll take care of them and notify the families of the ones that didn't make it… here we are."

They arrive at their house pulling into the drive way, as they approach a dog door automatically open letting out their red husky who dashes towards them barking happily.

"Hey Scotty!" [Kneels]

Scotty climbs up and licks his face.

"Alright Scotty, alright we missed you too!" [Stroking his head and ears]

Soon after Ashtear comes out of the house to greet them.

"Ash your early?" [Said Ellie]

"Yeah I had nothing better to do so I thought I come early."

"Scotty didn't steal anything from you again did he?" [Asked Isaac]

"Ha the little bugger snatched my leather jacket again I swear every time I put it down he comes out of nowhere and takes it away." [As they enter the house]

"He does the same with my boots anyway did your father tell you what happened?" [Isaac laughed]

"Yeah I heard, he also tells me we're going hunting."

"Yes Dean and Laura are missing and there's something going that's not right, on the USM Hail the attackers may have been unitologists."

"Fuck me really it's been a century and those murderous bastards are still around?"

"Apparently so or they were just psychos either way is bad but the military ships that have been stolen and disappeared something is up and Dean and Laura or caught in between."

"Well everything is almost set dad has gear for you guys to use, so we just got to wait till night fall and we'll meet Hex tonight so we have some time on our hands, I gotta take care of a few things alright its 12 now I'll be back about 9:30."

"Okay see you then." [Said Isaac]

Ashtear leaves the house walking to his motorbike as it powers up, he mounts then speeds away. Isaac heads to the living room finding Ellie on the couch with Scotty resting his head on her lap with her rubbing his head. Isaac crouches down to Scott who lifts his head to him.

"He's a trip isn't he?" [Said Isaac]

"Yes he is, he was just in Dean's room laying on his bed."

"Yeah he didn't see Dean when was visiting."

"Alright I'm gonna go up and take a shower." [Said Ellie]

"Okay let me know if you need anything."

Isaac goes to the garage; the dog follows him. He pulls a case from under a table and opens it taking out one of his old plasma pistols inspecting it. Just then Isaac has a vision of a large ship in deep space that is the USM Talos followed by a dark silhouette of a marker, the vision ends causing him pain in the back of his head he hasn't felt in in over a century.

"Shit…" [Realizing what his vision could mean]

Scotty whimpers and paws at Isaac's leg gaining his attention. Isaac rubs the side of Scotty's head then puts the pistols back in their case leaves the garage with it. Back on the Talos Dean and Laura still navigate through the darkened corridors.

"Damn it, is the black out all over the deck?" [Asked Dean]

"Must be this deck has had power problems since we went off the galactic grid." [Said Blake]

"Dean you and your men haven't drunken from any of the water fountains on the ship have you?" [As she passes by a bloodied water fountain]

"No way?"

"Good, one of my men when we got here a week ago he drank from and an hour later he got very sick… his skin got very pale and then he transformed into one of them, later after I lost all of my men I found myself in the water recycling areas and the whole place was infested with that growth that's spreading everywhere."

"So the infection is in the water supply he must have ingested the contagions."

"That's what I figured so refrain from drinking the water on this ship."

Blake stops when he hears tapping behind him, he turns around seeing nothing until he looks down seeing a necromite on the floor crawling to him lightly hissing.

"G… guys." [Both look at the necromite]

"Shit let's just…" [Dean said]

Then around the corner a large hoard of them gathers in front of them, they slowly start moving closer to them.

"Run… run, run now!" [Dean yelled as they charge at them]

"The fuck are those things!" [Blake screamed]

"Hungry that what they are!" [Dean answered]

All three run as fast as they can to outrun the hoard, Alpha and Helena's group at last reach the entrance to the cargo hold.

"Is this it?" [Alpha asked]

"Yes, the lab entrance will be at a strut near the center of the hold." [Said Frost]

"Captain's late… captain do you read where are you?"

"No not really, we're being chased by those bug things from earlier!"

"Ah shit they're here too we found the cargo hold we're heading in."

"Alright… send us the way point we'll meet you further in!"

"Sent."

"Dean there's a force field up ahead at the elevator, they won't be able to follow!"

"If it has power!"

"It should have its own generator!" [Said Blake]

They continue running through the dark hallways with only their suits illuminating their way until they reach the elevator. Dean slips and falls on corruption.

"Dean!"

"Laura keep going!" [As gets back up]

They get nearly close enough to leap onto him but miss as he gets back up, he runs to and hits the button on the other side activating the field blocking the way. Laura activates the elevator and they all escape.

"You okay?"

"Peachy, a ship full of necromorphs and pillow sized bugs having a great time just like last summer's furlough."

"Smartass."

"Hey I think I'm entitled to few bad jokes."

"By last summer you mean when you pissed off that CO?"

"Hey he had coming; you've seen him he's an ass."

"That reminds me you still owe me don't think I forgot."

"Owe you what?" [Dean asked]

"That time you played hooky from school on our senior year… you told me that dad told you could skip school so you could go surfing."

"One time, never again after that."

"My point is that you owe because if I wanted to I could've ratted you out to mom and dad or the school but I didn't, instead I hacked the school's system and forged a doctor's note in other words you wouldn't have gotten away with it if not for me."

"Alright fine I owe me."

"Your welcome."

"Some siblings you two are." [Said Blake]

The elevator finally reaches a stop as they step out they see many large slimy orbs on the ground.

"What the hell are these?" [Dean as he examines one]

"I've seen these all over some parts of the ship I think their eggs."

"Eggs… if that's the case then what's laying them?"

"Do we really want to find out." [Said Blake]

"Captain you there?"

"Yeah we lost those things for now."

"Same here we lost three guys to some new variant of those things."

"What was it?"

"I compared it with one from the old databases from the war it's a new variant of an Infector it can fly and seemingly cloak itself like some type adaptive camouflage, it infected them well we had it and three new slashers to fight."

"Damn."

"But the security chief is still with us."

"What about Helena?"

"I'm okay."

"Good did you guys find the lab entrance yet?"

"Yes we just found it but there's something wrong, the door is not accepting my clearance those men must've reprogramed the system."

"Leave it to me I can hack this." [Said Alpha]

"Okay according to the waypoint we're not too far away."

"Good maybe by the time you get here I'll have hacked this open."

As they leave the same creature they recently fought suddenly reappears.

"What… didn't we kill that thing!?" [Dean shocked]

"Looks like we have to do it again." [Said Laura]

"Fuck this day." [Dean to himself]

Back on Terra night has fallen, Isaac and Ellie leave home with Ashtear and head to meet up with Ashatear and Carver, they drive for a few miles to a military space port near the ocean. They arrive at a hanger on the far side of the port, where they see Carver waving to them.

"Good you're here Hex should be along any minute now." [Said Carver]

"Isaac, Ellie I had some friends in the agency who owed me some favors look into a few thing and they found something interesting." [Said Ashatear]

"What is it?"

"A small patrol near the Paxma nebula spotted one of the missing cruisers, it's the USM Daedalus." [Said Carver]

"That seems strange why would they steal the ship then be somewhere it may be found?" [Asked Isacc]

"The agency's IT department believes they were trying to hack into the communication satellites near them, they detected a number of intrusions all of which they easily shut down and where able to get the location when they back traced the signal." [Asha answered]

"Hex will get you guys to that ship, if there's anything that can tell you were the other ships including the Talos are it'll likely be there but you'll have to search quickly."

"Why is that?" [Aske Ellie]

"Because the IT guys reported the ships identity to TerraGov high command when they confirmed it one of the missing ships, as we speak Marines are being prepped and mobilized to find and board the ship you have to get there first and search for any clues like we said we'll try to delay them, buy you some time."

"Alright what are we waiting for then." [Hex as he arrives]

"Good to see you again Jordan." [Ellie greeted]

"Same here the Patriarch's ready some of Asha's friends planted bogus clearances in the ports systems so we should be able to leave unfettered, we should go now before someone gets suspicious." [Hex insisted]

"Okay thanks all of you." [Said Ellie]

"Don't mention were family, family looks out for each other."

"Thanks anyway."

"I set up a ghost channel for all of us to commune with so if anything, just ring us up."

"Ghost channel?"

"Yeah something new T.G.I.A R&amp;D made it bypasses most things that allow other RIGs to intercept transmissions so we don't have to worry about anyone listing in."

"Sweet."

Isaac, Ellie and Hex walk to the ship.

"See you later dad."

"Try not to do anything stupid will you."

"No promises… old man." [Catches up to his friends]

[Asha lets out a sharp sigh]

All four board the ship and prep to depart.

"Still an ass huh?"

"Ah he's gotten better not much an arse as he was while ago."

"He keeps calling you old man."

"And if he keeps it up I'll just have kick his arse yet again."

The ship lifts off leaves the port flying up in the night sky into space.


End file.
